Dreams Do Come True
by Moonlight Rhapsody
Summary: Ayako loves Ryota, but she still thinks it's not yet time to tell him. But one day, she sees a girl with Ryota, and falls hopelessly jealous. Can she be just mistakened, or did Ryota find a new love? [my very first Ayako-Ryota fic!] *FINISHED*
1. Jealousy

Dreams Come True

Chapter 1

Ryota Miyagi, one of Shohoku's finest was on the court. Being the smallest player on his team, he was often prejudiced by the audience. They think he's too short to play basketball. But what they don't know is that Ryota moves with great agility and speed. There was only 20 seconds left before the final game of the summer ended. It was the game that would decide the champions of the year. The game that would separate the winners from the rest. With only 20 seconds left, and a tied score of 84-84, the competition was getting tighter by each second that ticked away. The opponents had the ball. They dashed on the court, hoping to score, but alas, the shot bounced off the rim. It was a fight for the rebound. Hanamichi Sakuragi jumped to the top and snatched the ball.

"Ryochin!" he passed the ball to Ryota, being the fastest player. He rushed to their side of the court, with no time to lose. 10, 9,8 seconds. The fate of the game was in his hands. Three opponents blocked him.

"If I score, we'd win." Ryota was breathing hard as he glanced around. He looked around, looking for a sign, some chance to score. Then he saw Ayako cheering for Shohoku like she always did.

"Aya-chan…" Ryota mumbled. He suddenly felt a surge of inspiration and hope running through his veins . "I'll do this for you, Aya-chan!"

He quickly dashed near the basket, with unbelievably fast swiftness and jumped high, looking like he was about to shoot it. His opponents fell for the bait and jumped and tried to blocked him. He smiled to himself and got back in the ground. He glanced at the clock. 4 seconds. He made a quick shot.

3, 2, 1, 0. Everyone watched the ball pass down through the net, and the stadium exploded with roars and cheers from the audience. Shohoku won the game!

The Shohoku supporters ran down from the bleachers, down to the court to congratulate Shohoku. 

Ryota was tired, but he felt this amazing amount of happiness inside. A huge part of his time was devoted to basketball, and they did it! They had won the finals!

Amidst the crowd, Ryota saw a familiar girl with a red cap running toward him.

"Aya-chan!" Ryota was dazed as she saw, the girl of his dreams wrap her arms around him.

"Ryota!" Ayako said with delight, but noticed in a quick second that she had wrapped her arms around him. She quickly let go, looking embarrassed. She turned around, to hide her face, now in a deep shade of pink.

"Aya-chan…" Ryota held Ayako's arm and pulled her toward him.

"Ryota…you were great…" Ayako gazed into Ryota's eyes as she found her arms wrapped around his neck again. 

Ryota smiled at her. "It was all for you Ayako… I love you…"

Their faces were getting close, both of them, wanting to fill the gap of each other's lips, feeling the warmth of a kiss when all of a sudden…

__

RRRRIIIIINNGGG!!!! **THUD!**

Ryota Miyagi fell down from his bed, and ended the wonderful dream.

He rubbed his back and took hold of his alarm clock.

"Bakaa!!! I was about to kiss Ayako!!" he screamed curses at his alarm clock, almost as if it was alive, then threw it out of the window. He rubbed his eyes and gazed at the mirror.

"Aya-chan…" he whispered in a dreamy voice. He wished that stupid alarm clock hadn't woken him up. It was almost a dream come true. Ayako was Shohoku's team manager, and Ryota fell in love with her ever since the first day he saw her.

Ryota groaned as he took of his clothes and took a shower. There was basketball practice that day, and he wouldn't miss it. He dreamed of winning the finals, being one of the best players. He would do it all for Ayako.

As he finished taking a bath and changing his clothes, he packed up his bag and went downstairs. 

"Ryota." His mother approached him. "Your cousin is going to live here permanently while she is studying in Shohoku. Her dorm lets her pay too much, so I invited her to live here instead."

"Okay Mom. I have to go. We have practice." Ryota left his house in a hurry.

He was thinking about his cousin, Yuri. She was his cousin in the mother side, and she studies in Shohoku. She is a very talented swimmer, in fact, she's in Shohoku High's Swim Team. 

Ryota arrived in school, but did not enter the gym at once. He peeped through the gym window, and looked for Ayako. He spotted her sitting on a bench, tying her black hair into a ponytail and placing her bright red cap on. He stared at her dreamily, thinking about how he will impress her today.

"Aya-chan...you're so beautiful..." Ryota said to himself, imagining Ayako and him together as a couple.

"Ryota." A sweet voice came from behind. This almost made Ryota jump.

"N-nani?"

Somebody just caught him staring at Ayako.

__

"How embarrassing…" he told himself while turning around.

He saw a pretty girl with long black hair and light brown eyes, smiling mischievously.

"Yuri." Ryota said with relief.

"You staring at Ayako again?" she asked while his face turned to a deep shade of pink.

"I have a proposal to make. Help me practice swimming, while I help you practice basketball."

"Hmm… Sounds fair enough to me, we've got a deal." Ryota was grinning. "So, when do we start?"

"We can start today." 

"Okay then." Ryota stepped inside the gym.

Ayako watched as Ryota walked in the gym with Yuri. Unfortunately, Ryota still hasn't introduced Yuri to anyone, so the Shohoku Team stared at Ryota while he talked to Yuri.

__

"Who's that? Does Ryota have a new girlfriend?" Ayako mumbled to herself. She hid the fact that she liked Ryota--more than a friend. But she could not hide it to herself. It all began when she learned that Ryota likes her, bit by bit, little by little, Ayako felt a strange feeling inside her, a longing feeling for Ryota. But she cannot tell him, not yet. 

Ayako felt a strange jealousy inside her. She stared at Yuri, examining her from head to toe.

__

"Stop being stupid Ayako, you don't own him." Ayako blinked hard and tried to forget about him. She stood up.

"Okay, is everybody present?" she checked the attendance, and began the practice.

They began with a quick game. The team was divided into two, and they practiced scoring. Ayako watched as Ryota made a score, owing to his fast speed.

"Go Ryota!" Yuri's voice echoed through the gym. After a while, she cheered again when Ryota snatched the ball. The practice continued, the game was heating up.

~*~*After a few minutes*~*~

Akagi called for a time out. 

Yuri went to Ryota and wiped his forehead with a towel. She even brought him water. Then she talked to him about how he scored, his flaws, and she even praised him for doing good.

Ayako looked at them at the corner of her eye, trying hard not to look affected in any way.

As the game continued, Yuri was cheering for Ryota in every score or nice move that he made.

__

"Baka. She's too noisy. Hey wont be able to concentrate like that." Ayako grumbled. She spoke through gritted teeth, and was clenching her fist.

She showed the fact that she disliked Yuri for being too noisy, but we all know the truth.

It was official. Ayako was jealous.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Author's Notes:

I hoped you enjoyed my first chapter! How did I start this fic? On a simple boring day. I was thinking about Ryota and Ayako (like I always do) and *POP!* it just hit me. Of course, I won't be able to connect all the ideas without my friends, Shana, Tammie, Nayie, Reg, Merly, Marda, and a whole lot more!

I am so bad at Japanese. Of course I know a few simple ones. Hey, you know what, you can teach me! Review and post some few Japanese words or e-mail me at thunderbolt232@yahoo.com

****

Please review! I need to know your opinions!

(I have this bad habit of not finishing the story when no-one even bothers to read, I mean, who would want to write when no-one's reading?)

Sayonara! I'm off to the next chap!

Arigato for reading!


	2. Mistaken

Chapter 2

Ayako went home, half angry, half depressed. She pondered on the thought that Ryota didn't really love her.

"_Those daily confessions of love were just pranks, to make me fall in love with him. It's just a game, like basketball_." she grumbled as she strode across the pavement, her hands folded in front of her chest.

__

"He fakes moves in the court, that's how he scores sometimes." She continued to grumble continuously.

"_I didn't know he also faked moves in real life..._" She stared hard at the asphalt beneath her feet.

"_He does it very well._" She breathed in deeply, her heart felt heavy.

"_I can't believe I fell for it!_" She kicked a rock in her path so hard, that it disappeared from her view.

"_If he really loved me, he would wait for me. I didn't say yes to him yet because it's not yet time. If he really loved me, he'd understand." _

She arrived at her house and headed straight for her room. She opened her closet, which had Ryota's picture posted in it. She tore the picture off the cabinet. She gazed hard upon it. Into Ryota's charming eyes. Her eyes drifted from his eyes to the stud he wore on one ear. She remembered how it always shined whenever he walked, or smiled, or played basketball, or when he told her how pretty she looked today, or when he asked for help in History, and when he told her that...he…loved her.

"_I'm going to tear this picture. I'm going to forget all about him. He is out of my life_." Her hands trembled as she positioned her fingers, ready to tear the picture.

"_Just one pull Ayako. Just one pull and the picture you've worked so hard on to get will be gone. All your efforts in getting it, all the excuses you made to get it, all of it will be worthless. Just one pull._.."

"_Why can't I do it?!"_ Her eyes were teary as she stuffed the picture under her books. She lay down on her bed, staring on the ceiling.

"It's quiet. Too quiet..." She reached for her radio, and turned it on her favorite station. The music echoed through Ayako's room.

__

"There's a song that's inside of my soul,

It's the one that I've tried to write over and over again,

I'm awake in the infinite cold,

But you sing to me over and over again."

"So I lay my head back down,

And I lift my hands and pray,

To be only yours I pray,

To be only yours, 

I know now, 

You're my only hope."

"_No matter how hard I may try to forget about him, I don't think I'll ever do._" Ayako's eyes were getting heavy. 

"_I'm so stupid. I can't believe I'm being so emotional. Maybe that wasn't Ryota's girlfriend. Maybe I just jumped into conclusions. Yeah, that's right. She isn't his girlfriend. I'm the one that he loves._"

"_Ryota..._" Ayako's eyes closed slowly and a tear dropped from her eyes and trickled down her cheek.

~*~*Ryota's Room*~*~

Ryota was exhausted from the practice. He turned his radio on, and lay on his bed, his hands behind his head. He stared at the ceiling, and thought about Ayako.

"_I am so glad I got to see Aya-chan._"

__

"Sing to me the song of the stars,

Of your galaxy dancing and laughing and laughing again,

When it feels like my dreams, so far,

Sing to me of the plans that you have for me over again."

"But why was she in a bad mood? She looked grumpy when I glimpsed at her." 

__

"So I lay my head back down,

And I lift my hands and pray,

To be only yours I pray,

To be only yours, 

I know now, 

You're my only hope."

"It seems that she is so far, yet we are so close to each other."

__

"I give you my destiny,

I'm giving you all of me,

I want your symphony ,

Singing in all that I am,"

__

"I'd give the whole world to you if I can, but I can't. I'm only human."

__

"At the top of my lungs,

I'm giving it back."

"So I lay my head back down,

And I lift my hands and pray,

To be only yours I pray,

To be only yours I pray, 

To be only yours,

I know now, 

You're my only hope..."

"I pray... To be only yours Aya-chan... And for you to be mine."

~*~*The Next Day*~*~

Ayako was still in a bad mood. Yuri came to practice, much to her dismay. And Ryota even introduced her to the team. The memory was still fresh in her mind.

"Guys, this is Yuri. Yuri, this is the Shohoku team. Akagi, Sakuragi, Rukawa, Kogure,.…,…,…and Ayako."

Ayako became grumpy, and she lost self-control. She started yelling at the team, to work harder, even when she was more than satisfied with their performance. Kogure noticed that there was something wrong with her, and offered her a walk home.

"Ayako, Is there something wrong?" Kogure asked Ayako, while they walked outside the gym.

"No there isn't. Why do you ask?" Ayako smiled weakly.

"It's just that you've become so temperamental ever since..."

Ayako felt her heart skip a beat. Did Kogure notice that she had feelings for Ryota?

"S-since when?" Ayako asked hoping that Kogure didn't notice.

"...since Yuri came."

Ayako looked down. The precious secret she has been keeping all this time, it was out.

"I have been noticing that you have been jealous of Yuri. Do you love Ryota?"

There was a brief moment of silence.

"...Yes..." Ayako finally admitted, whispering in a soft voice. There was nothing else to do but tell the truth.

"Well, if you love him, then why don't you say yes to him?"

"I will... Just not now... It's not yet time."

"But Ayako, he's been following you around for a long time. Why don't you think it's time?"

"_It's hard to explain..._" Ayako said to herself, thinking of a way to explain it to Kogure.

"Kogure, once you reach your goal, will you still reach out for it?"

"Huh?" Kogure was a bit confused. 

"I-I don't think I will, I mean, I did reach the end of the line. What's left for me to reach?"

"Exactly. Ryota's goal is to become one of the best players in the prefecture, and he's doing it all for me. So he can impress me, so I can say yes to him. If I accept him as my boyfriend, maybe, just maybe, he won't work hard for basketball anymore. I know he's that type of guy who reaches out beyond his goal, but I'm not taking any chances. Love can wait. Basketball can't."

Kogure was left silent.

"Now I understand why. Ayako has devoted herself to the basketball team. She has even sacrificed her love for Ryota, for victory. But, there's something wrong. She thinks basketball is more important than love." Kogure thought.

"Kogure might be thinking that I placed basketball on the very top of my priorities, that basketball is more important that love. No, he's wrong. It's just that basketball only lasts a year, now that we are second years. Once we are in the fourth year, we are not allowed to play anymore. But my love for Ryota will last, hopefully, forever." Ayako thought.

They passed by the other side of Shohoku High, the side where the small building and the swimming pool was located. Ayako looked around, and saw a familiar twinkle in the distance. She looked closer and saw Ryota, talking with Yuri in a bathing suit. 

"_They're together again?_" Ayako deliberately turned her head into the opposite direction. "_I didn't see anything_."

Kogure noticed Ayako turn her head, and he saw Yuri and Ryota together. He placed his hand over Ayako's shoulder.

"It's going to be alright Ayako, I'm sure you're just mistakened."

"Thanks." Ayako replied.

Yuri saw Ayako and Kogure walking together.

"Ryota, there's Ayako." She said, pointing at Kogure and Ayako.

Ryota gaped at the sight of Kogure and Ayako walking together. The worst thing was that Kogure's hand was over Ayako's shoulder. Ryota felt furious at this sight.

"Kogure...you good for nothing...how dare you...you know I..." He grumbled, clenching his fist. He wanted to make a run for Kogure and bury his fist in deep in his face.

It was official. Ryota was jealous.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Author's Notes:

Finally! Here is the second chapter! After 2 days of having a mental block, I finally got ideas!

Here are some clarifications/explanations in the chapter:

Kogure has no HD (a.k.a. HIDDEN DESIRE) for Ayako. The "hand-over-the-shoulder" thing was just an act of friendship/comforting. Ayako looked around, and saw a familiar twinkle in the distance. The "familiar twinkle" was Ryota's ear stud twinkling. 

I didn't even put one single Japanese word! Do you think I should drop the Japanese thing? 

(Okay, call me a trying-hard-Japanese-writer if you want!)

Let me know through e-mail (thunderbolt232@yahoo.com) or review and tell me your opinions.

I'm off to the next chapter! (I can't promise you to update fast but I'll try.)

^_^

Disclaimer: The song written here is Only Hope by Mandy Moore. Nice? Yes it is! Isn't it?!


	3. Revelation

Chapter 3

Ryota was mad. Infuriated. Every single word you could think of which meant "angry".

"_How could Kogure do this to me?_" he was trembling hard. 

He couldn't wait for the next day. He would beat up Kogure. No, he couldn't do it. He just can't. He loves Ayako, and he has respect for her. He had to respect Ayako's decision.

"_I have to forget about her already.  I really have to. I have to accept the fact that she doesn't like me. But how?"_

~*~*The Next Day*~*~

Ayako went to the gym early. She had to fix her locker before anyone else was around. She had a new outfit on today. Sleeveless shirt, skirt, and a headband on her head.

She approached her locker and took off her jacket. She folded it neatly and lay it on the bench. 

She opened her locker, and lo and behold, a shrine.

Everything in her locker was all related to Ryota. All his gifts, letters, and even the gift wrappings were neatly displayed. Not one single gift that Ryota had given her was missing, or damaged. And on the inside of her locker was a picture of her, together with Ryota. She smiled at this memory. It was still clear in her mind...

There was a picture taking during a practice the previous year. Ayako intentionally stood behind Ryota. She got the negatives later on and took it to a photography shop. She asked them to edit the picture, so only she and Ryota would be visible. She was clever.

She traced the picture with her finger and stared into deep space.

Akagi, Kogure, Mitsui, Rukawa and Sakuragi went to the locker room. They stared at the girl standing by the lockers. She had long wavy black hair just like Ayako's, but she was wearing a sleeveless shirt and a skirt. There was no way she would be Ayako. Unfortunately, there was.

"Excuse me miss, but you're not allowed here. Only authorized people like players, the manager and the coach are allowed here. You would have to ask permission from any authorized person to enter this room." Akagi told her in his usual "captain" voice.

Ayako quickly closed her locker.

"I am the manger." Ayako said while turning around.

The players' faces showed distinct shock in their faces (except Rukawa as usual). Ayako looked very pretty, and they had no idea she had the guts to wear a casual skirt.

"Ayako?"

"You look so pretty!"

"I didn't know you wore a skirt!"

The guys were very noisy. They started talking all at the same time, their voices echoing in the locker room.

"You look like a girl!" one loud voice suddenly protruded through the noise. It was Sakuragi, still the noisy little bakayeroou he was.

The noise suddenly disappeared like a ghost. Akagi gave Sakuragi his famous gorilla punch.

"You shouldn't have said that!" he hissed at Sakuragi.

"So you mean I don't look like a girl?" Ayako said while quickly producing a paper fan in her hands and lightly tapping her left hand with it.

"Uh, no, you look like one—I mean you are one, what I meant is that you never—I mean you usually wear a cap and shorts so you look like a boy—Not that you act like one, you're really very pretty—not that I have a crush on you, remember my only love is Haruko—I mean that's why Ryota likes you, right—I have to go now, bye!" Sakuragi and the guys went out of the locker room.

Ayako laughed silently. "_Why are they scared of my paper fan so much? It doesn't hurt."_

Ayako stuffed her jacket inside the locker and remembered the times the players moaned with pain.

_"Okay, so it hurts a little."_

_"A little? Yeah right_." A voice in her head said.

"_Okay, so maybe it does hurt a lot."_ She smiled to herself as she made way for the court. "_Time for practice_."

~*~*After Practice*~*~

Ryota was blank today. Like a brick wall. No _I love you Aya-chan's_ nor _I'll do this for you Aya-chan's._ He didn't feel like playing. He didn't feel like doing anything. He just wanted to sit down and stare blankly ahead. Yuri came again for practice. She felt sorry for Ryota. She understood the feeling, that feeling of loss. She should know. She already lost someone before.

Ayako on the other hand acted as if nothing happened. She showed that she was still the same old Ayako, with or without Ryota.

Ayako was about to go home, but then she remembered that she left her jacket in her locker. She skipped all the way to the locker room, but noticed that it was noisy in there. She walked through the door, and saw a crowd. They were crowding over something.

"What's the matter?" Ayako asked as she came closer. The boys stood aside, revealing Ayako's locker, open for everyone to see.

The guys looked astounded, their eyes twice as wide, and their mouths gaping open.

"_Oh no! I forgot to lock my locker!"_ Ayako whined. There was no way to explain to the guys what they saw.

Ayako's secret was out.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Author's notes:

GOMEN NASAI! I updated so slow! My dad grounded me at my computer at home! (Actually, I'm banned to the computer from Sundays-Thursdays)

Grrr! I hate it! Anyway, thanks to all those who reviewed! I almost got a mind block! (Thank God I got through it!)

Explanations:

1. Ayako forgot to lock her locker cause when the guys arrived when she was gazing at the picture, she panicked a little and slammed it close so the guys won't see.

**THANK YOU FOR ALL THOSE WHO REVIEWED!!!**

By the way Scarlet, it won't be a problem for you because Kogure is all yours! 


	4. Rain

Chapter 4

"You never told us you like Ryota!" Mitsui said to Ayako.

Ayako was turning red. She looked around.

"Good thing Ryota's not here." She said in relief.

She ran to her locker and closed it.

"Nyahaha! Wait till Ryochin hears about this!" Sakuragi said, sneaking his way outside. 

A fan appeared from nowhere and hit his head hard.

"Hey, what did you do that for?" Sakuragi rubbed his head.

"You must not tell Ryota about this." She demanded in a stern voice.

"How come?" Akagi suddenly voiced out.

"Just don't tell him. And don't ask any more questions."

"Well what if we tell him?" Sakuragi intruded.

Ayako tapped her fan lightly on her left hand and raised her eyebrow.

"Okay, we won't tell."

"Yes ma'am."

"We promise."

Ayako smiled. "Good. Bye for now."

She stepped out of the locker room.

"I hope they won't tell… I don't know if I can really trust them, especially Sakuragi. How could I be that stupid? Leaving my locker unlocked."

~*~*Meanwhile…*~*~

Yuri was walking toward the library when a burly third year blocked her path.

"Excuse me." Yuri tried to make way, but the third year just stood in her track.

"Hey babe. Want to go check out my place for the night?"

"Uh, sorry, I have to go." Yuri said, avoiding the third year. 

"Don't ignore me when I'm talking to you." He grabbed her arm.

"Let me go!" she said, struggling with the guy.

Ayako was walking and she saw the commotion.

_"That's Yuri…but who's that guy?" _she went near them.

"This guy bothering you?" Ayako asked Yuri. The guy stared at Ayako.

"Mind your own business." He spat at her, as he pulled Yuri even closer.

"I am giving you one last chance. Let her go." Ayako demanded.

"Yeah? And what are you going to do to me? You lesbian!"

That was it. Ayako had enough. She marched up to the guy, gripped his shirt and banged him on the wall.

"Listen, I am not a lesbian you bully! I am just a plain girl who wants sports. Does that make me a lesbian? And besides, what are you doing threatening girls, hub? Bet no girl comes near you, that's why! If I ever see you bullying another girl, you'll get a taste of this." Ayako raised her fist high enough for the third year to see.

The third year nodded in fright and scampered away.

Ayako shrugged and looked back at Yuri.

"You alright?" she smiled at her.

"Yes, I'm perfectly fine Ayako. Thanks."

"You're Yuri right? Ryota's…?"

"Cousin." Yuri finished the sentence.

"Oh…Okay, I have to go then. See you around!" Ayako waved at her as she made her way home.

_"Cousin?! I was jealous of Ryota's cousin?! How could I ever be so stupid?!"_

Ayako noticed raindrops dripping from the sky. She pulled out an umbrella and continued walking. She noticed a guy walking at a distance. He was shielding his head from the rain with his books. It was Ryota.

_"Doesn't he know that he'll get sick with that?! He's not even running!" _Ayako walked faster.

Ryota was thinking about Ayako, as usual.

"Damn, I don't know why she's that beautiful. I can't forget about her." The raindrops seeped on his shirt, and his books were drenched.

Then, all of a sudden, Ryota noticed a shadow above his head. He looked up, and a blue umbrella was shielding the rain from him. He looked behind and Ayako was there, smiling holding the umbrella.

"We don't want our point guard to be sick now, would we?"

"Aya-chan…you don't really have to…"

"No, it's fine." She smiled again.

_"Damn, she's so beautiful when she smiles…" _Ryota whispered to himself.

"Don't stay behind me though, walk beside me." He took the umbrella from Ayako's hands and together, they walked through the rain.

"Bye." Ryota said taking a left turn.

"Run Ryota! Don't get wet! Take a bath when you get home!" Ayako called after him. 

_"Aishiteru..Ryota"_

_~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~_

Author's Notes:

Yippee! Finally done! Sorry if this chap is too short… (is it? I think so…) I did it during Computer class… so there! Bye!

**Thanks to all those who review and please review!**


	5. Best in Me

Chapter Five

Ryota ran, avoiding the heavy drops of the rain. He looked back at Ayako, who was now walking toward the opposite direction, disappearing into the rain.

"_Aya-chan…"_

He arrived at his home, wet, and soaked. He remembered Ayako's words.

"Run Ryota! Don't get wet! Take a bath when you get home!"

"_I'll do whatever you want. It's all for you."_ He said gently caressing Ayako's picture on his desk.

~*~*Next Day*~*~

Ryota arrived at the gym early. He saw Kogure on the bench.

__

"I should ask him now, about what I saw. I don't want to live on conclusions. I want the truth."

"Kogure." He sat beside him.

"Are you and Ayako…do you have a…" he mumbled. 

"Nani?"

"Do you love Ayako?" he blurted out.

"I like her as a friend. But we don't have a relationship. Why?"

"Nothing. I just thought…"

"Was it because I placed my hand over her shoulders the other day?"

"…"

"That was just a friendly gesture Ryota. She had a problem and I just wanted to make her feel better."

"Oh. Thanks Kogure." He went to the locker room and changed his clothes.

"Ryochin!" Sakuragi rushed toward the locker room.

"Ryochin! Guess what?! Ayako---" his words were cut off by a big blow on his head.

"Doaho!" Akagi and the others were staring at him. They had this "remember-Ayako-said-not-to-tell" expression on their faces.

"What about Ayako?" Ryota inquired.

"She's here already. And Yuri is waiting for you by the way." Mitsui interrupted.

"Oh, thanks." He said, leaving the locker room.

"Thanks a lot you bakayerou! You almost told him! Ayako said not to tell, remember? If you want being slapped by a paper fan, just tell her! Don't get us in the mess too! Besides, I think it would be better if Ayako will be the one to tell Ryota her feelings." Mitsui told Sakuragi who was rubbing his head.

"Come on, we have to practice now." One by one, the players left the locker room.

"Baka." Rukawa whispered at Sakuragi.

"Rukawa!" His voice boomed through the gym. "You should not say that to a tensai like me!"

"Yare-yare." 

"Hi Ayako!" Yuri waved at Ayako who was sitting on a bench, writing on her clipboard.

"Hi!" She cheerfully looked up at her. She was feeling much comfortable with her now that she knew that she was only his cousin. "Is that third year still bullying you?" She asked with a laugh.

"No, not anymore, in fact, whenever I see him, he hides from me. He must be scared of you!" She beamed.

Ayako giggled. Ryota came and put his hand over Yuri's shoulder.

"It's good you're here. Hi Ayako!"

"Hi Ryota! So, are you guys ready for practice?" 

"Yup. We're all here! Let's begin?" 

"Hai."

~*~*After Practice*~*~

Ryota was in the shower room alone. Earlier, they had a game. Ryota did so well. He was truly improving his skills. Why? All because of Ayako. He felt very eager to play. Of course he impressed her with his moves.

He began to sing.

__

From the moment I met you I just knew you'd be mine  
You touched my hand and I knew that this was gonna be our time  
I don't ever wanna lose this feeling, I don't wanna spend a moment apart  
  
Cause you bring out the best in me, like no-one else can do  
That's why I'm by your side, and that's why I love you  
  
Every day that I'm here with you, I know that it feels right  
And I've just got to be near you every day and every night  
And you know that we belong together, It just had to be you and me  
  
Cause you bring out the best in me, like no-one else can do  
That's why I'm by your side, and that's why I love you  
  
And you know that we belong together, It just had to be you and me  
  
Cause you bring out the best in me, like no-one else can do  
That's why I'm by your side,  
Cause you bring out the best in me, like no-one else can do  
That's why I'm by your side, and that's why I love you  
Cause you bring out the best in me, like no-one else can do  
That's why I'm by your side, and that's why I love you

Sakuragi went inside the shower room.

"Hey, who's singing?"

"Sakuragi no baka! It's me!" 

"You never told me you like to sing."

"I don't. Of course, I'd sing if it's for Aya-chan."

"Oh… So that song is for Ayako?"

"Yup. She brings out the best in me."

"Is that so?" Sakuragi smiled. Not just an ordinary smile. A mischievous one. As if saying "I've got a plan."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Author's Notes:

Omg! Sorry for taking so long to update! I know this chapter aint much. Sorry, but I can't get straight to the point. It'll ruin everything… ~^_^~ -- wow! I like this smiley!

Anyway, thanks, thanks and thanks to all those who reviewed! I really, really appreciate them!

I'm off to the next chap! Ja Mata Ne!

Disclaimer:

The song is Best in Me by Blue. It's the perfect song for Ryota, right?! It's so nice! ^_^

****

Please review and thanks to those who did!


	6. Ryota's MTV

Chapter 6

Ryota cringed when he received his test paper. They took a test the previous day about Egyptian Literature.

"Damn, I failed—again!" he checked his paper. It had a big red 67 on it.

The bell rang and their class was dismissed. Ryota was about to leave the room when his teacher called him.

"Sensei?"

"Ryota, I am frustrated. You never do well in my class. The final test is the day after tomorrow. If you don't get a good mark, I'll have to suspend you from basketball."

"Suspend me from basketball?! But sensei—"

"No buts. I expect that basketball is the reason of your failing marks. You spend too much time on it and less time for your academics."

"But sensei—"

"I already explained everything important. You may leave now."

Ryota was furious. He crumpled his test paper.

"That bakayerou! He doesn't even give me a chance! And now he's threatening me! But I need to study…or else I'll be suspended from basketball…and I'll let Aya-chan down!"

He grumpily marched toward the gym. The whole basketball team was already there.

"I failed my Literature test." He suddenly said to them.

"The teacher said he'll suspend me from basketball if I flunk the next test."

"Nani?! That can't be! Our final game will be next week!" Akagi boomed.

"I know, I tried to explain it to the teacher, but he won't listen!"

"You know what, you need a tutor." Mitsui said.

"Yeah, someone smart."

"—someone who takes up Egyptian Literature too."

"And most importantly, someone who Ryota will definitely listen to."

"…But who?"

They became silent and suddenly drifted their eyes away from each other towards Ayako, who was busy checking her clipboard.

Ayako became suspicious of the silence. She looked up to see all of them staring at her.

"Why are you looking at me like that?"

"Do you have something to do tonight?"

"Yes, I have to go to my aunt's house."

"How about tomorrow?"

"I don't think so…why?"

"Ryota flunked his last test in Literature and if he fails one more test, he's suspended from basketball."

"Nani?! Okay, I'll help him study."

"Arigato Aya-chan! Arigato!" Ryota was so happy he could almost kneel before her.

"No problem."

"Ooh, we have a date tomorrow night!" Ryota told Sakuragi in the locker room.

"Ryota no baka, it's not a date!" Sakuragi said, taking off his shirt.

"Say whatever you want to say. The important thing is that I'll be with Aya-chan tomorrow night!"

"Yare-yare."

"I'm ready for practice!" Ryota jumped up after tying his shoelaces.

"Let's go!"

~*~*After Practice*~*~

"I'm so happy! Aya-chan complimented me today! Yes!" Ryota pumped his fist into the air. He was alone in the locker room. Everyone went home already. Well, that was what he though.

Sakuragi peeped through the door.

"_Oh please sing that song again, Oh please sing that song again, Oh please sing that song again…"_ he whispered to himself.

Ryota opened his locker. Ayako's picture was taped on the inside. He then suddenly felt an urge to sing, after all, nobody was there.

_"Ayako, I just want to tell you that I love you so much."_

_"I'd wait till the end of time, just to be with you."_

He was talking to the picture.

_"If I could just show you how much I feel for you, I'd show it."_

_"But my love for you is just too big, to vast for a human to show."_

_"I feel this strange thing for you whenever you are around."_

_"A comforting feeling, a feeling of relief."_

_"A feeling that tells me that you are the one for me."_

_"This song is for you."_

_"Best in Me, by Blue."_

He started to sing, with feelings and actions. He imagined holding a microphone and he sang the whole song.

Sakuragi laughed silently.

_"What is he doing? Making his own MTV?" _He thought.

He waited until Ryota finished the song and he left. He naughtily grinned to himself and twinkle appeared in his eyes.

_"This is perfect. Just perfect."_

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Author's Notes:

Hello! I've finished another chapter again! ^_^ Nyahahaha! What could be Sakuragi's plan for Ryota? Tune in!!!

Disclaimer:

I don't own Best in Me… Blue owns it! ^_^

**Ja Mata Ne! Please Review!**


	7. Confession

Chapter 7

Ryota was rummaging his closet.

"_What am I going to wear? Ayako will be waiting for me!"_ he pulled out a few clothes and dumped them on his bed.

"_Aaaah! I'm so confused! I don't even know her favorite color!"_ he examined a blue shirt closely and threw it on top of the large pile of clothes at the foot of his bed.

__

"Maybe it's red… her cap's red… no, maybe her cap's red because she's supporting Shohoku…" 

"Or maybe it's pink! She always wears her pink shirt! Ryota you idiot, you can't wear pink!"

"Or blue! Her shorts are blue!"

"I'm confused!!! What am I going to wear?!"

He pulled almost everything out of his closet when the phone rang. He quickly picked up the phone.

Ayako: "Hello? Ryota?"

Ryota: "Aya-chan!"

Ayako: "I'm on my way there."

Ryota: "You're coming here?! But I thought I was going to your house!"

Ayako: "I didn't say that you were coming here."

Ryota: "Oh… gomen."

Ayako: "It's okay, I'll be right over in about… 5 minutes or so."

Ryota: "Okay Aya-chan, you want me to pick you up?"

Ayako: "No thanks, I can manage."

Ryota: "You sure?"

Ayako: "Hai."

Ryota: "Take care…"

Ayako: "Okay, bye."

Ryota placed the receiver down. He turned around to see his room--clothes were everywhere and there was such a big mess.

__

"Oh no!" he wailed as he scooped up his clothes and stuffed it all in the cabinet as fast as he could. He also hid Ayako's pictures which were posted on the wall. He stuffed all of these things inside the cabinet just in time.

The doorbell rang and Ryota opened the door. Ayako was standing on his doorway, with her school bag.

"Konnichiwa Ryota-kun!" Ayako greeted him with a bright smile. 

"_R-ryota-kun? Did she just call me Ryota-kun?"_ Ryota felt his knees suddenly becoming wobbly.

"Konnichiwa! Come in!"

"Soo… Let's study?"

"Hai." Ryota said, leading the way to his room.

Ryota fixed his desk, his radio and school books on top, and two chairs beside each other.

"Sit here Aya-chan." He said, pulling the first chair out.

"Arigato Ryota." 

"So… where do we begin?"

"We begin at the Cosmological Myth of Egypt."

"Okay."

"At first there was nothing but Nun, the primal ocean of chaos which contained the seeds of everything to come. In the jumble of waters the sun God reposed. Finally, by an exertion of will, he emerged from the chaos as…"

"Ra?"

"Yes! That's correct! Then Ra, gave birth to the God of Air who is?"

"…Thoth?"

"No, Thoth is the lord of divine words. Did you study earlier?"

"I browsed through the book, but I didn't get to remember all the characters."

"Okay, what say we study for about a few minutes, then I ask you questions… Is that okay?"

"Hai. Perfect."

__

"Oh gosh, he's so handsome… No Ayako, this is no time for idle dreaming. You've got a test tomorrow… Concentrate!" Ayako tried to stare hard at her textbook, but the words just slip in her mind. 

She can't help but glance a few looks at Ryota, who can't concentrate at the same time.

__

"I can't believe I'm with her…alone. She's so pretty, I can't concentrate!!!"

"Ryota?"

"Nani?"

"Is it okay if I turn on the radio? It's getting a bit quiet…"

"Sure. I like to study with the music on."

Ayako reached out for the radio, and they both listened to it.

__

"Ayako, I just want to tell you that I love you so much."

"I'd wait till the end of time, just to be with you."

Ryota and Ayako froze. Ryota's eyes widened while Ayako kept listening.

__

"If I could just show you how much I feel for you, I'd show it."

"But my love for you is just too big, to vast for a human to show."

"I feel this strange thing for you whenever you are around."

"A comforting feeling, a feeling of relief."

"A feeling that tells me that you are the one for me."

"This song is for you."

"Best in Me, by Blue."

Ryota's face became as bright as the sunset, slowly burying itself into the text book. 

__

"Is that Ryota singing?! I didn't know he sings so well!" 

"H-how? W-why? W-who? Sakuragi!!!!" Ryota clenched his fist. "_That doaho_!"

The two of them listened carefully as the song finished, ending in the last few words:

__

"That's why I love you, my Aya-chan."

"Okay, I'm finished reading…are you finished?" She asked as if nothing happened.

"H-hai."

"Okay then, who is the daughter of Ra, who at the same time is the Goddess of Moisture?"

"…Tefnut."

"Nice! And who is the daughter of Shu and Tefnut?"

"Yeah, I remember, they were married and had two children…Geb, the Earth God…and Nut the Sky Goddess!"

"You've got it! And then…what happened?"

"Men were created from Ra's tears. Eons passed and Ra grew decrepit, so the ungrateful race of men plotted against him. Ra learned about these plots and decided to kill humankind. He sent…he sent… Hathor to kill the people, leaving only a tiny remnant left."

"I can't believe you failed the tests! You know the story very well!"

"I get confused with the names…" Ryota said while a pink tinge appeared on his face.

"Okay then--what was that?" Ayako heard a grumbling noise.

"Probably just thunder. The news said that it would rain today."

"Oh, okay, I'll continue the story. Nut was married to Ra, the Sun God, but she also made love to her brother Geb, and Thoth, the lord of divine words. When Ra found out that Nut secretly slept with Geb, he cursed his wife saying that she shall not bear a child in any month of the year. He then ordered Shu to separate them--"

Her words were cut off by a loud grumbling noise.

"Are you sure it's thunder Ryota?"

"I guess so. Please continue."

"As I was saying, Shu defeated Geb and--"

There was a loud crash. Ayako turned around to see Ryota's cabinet, wide open, its contents on the floor.

Ryota jumped up and started to gather his clothes and his things.

__

"Haha, Aya-chan, sorry, I'll fix this mess in no time, really, hehe…"

Ayako noticed a photograph near her foot and picked it up. She was amazed to see herself in the photograph.

__

"Ryota-kun…" she sighed and decided to help him clean the mess.

"No Aya-chan, I can fix this on my own, no need to help--"

There was one last shirt on the floor. Ayako reached out to get it, but before she could grasp it, she felt Ryota's hand over hers.

The both of them turned into a violent shade of red as they quickly separated their hands.

"_Must I really get embarrassed twice on such a wonderful night?" _Ryota murmured to himself, taking the shirt on the floor and stuffing it back in his cabinet.

"Where were we?" Ayako quickly changed the subject.

"Shu defeated Geb and…"

"Oh yeah…Shu defeated Geb and raised Nut aloft, separating them permanently. That is why the sky and the earth are far from each other."

Ryota listened carefully as Ayako finished the whole story. Well, it was too good to be true. A great night couldn't last forever. Ryota had to take her home.

They walked together, side by side on the road. The night was wonderful and the cold breeze was perfect. The streets were dim, and they were all alone.

A sudden sound of thunder boomed over the street. Ayako felt raindrops drop down on them. Slowly, these light raindrops began to fall faster, and it started to rain. He quickly took of his jacket and covered his beloved. Together, they ran, looking for shelter.

They soon found a dry bench covered by a huge tree. They sat down together, wet and trembling because of the rain. He wrapped his jacket around her.

"Arigato Ryota." Ayako whispered to him.

"You're welcome."

__

"He's such a gentleman…he's so sweet… I can't take it anymore… I have to tell him how I feel… I don't want him to suffer any longer… Now all I need… all I need is courage."

A moment of silence.

"Ryota?"

"Nani Aya-chan?"

"I like this guy. He's very sweet, he's handsome, and he's definitely my type of guy. And every minute I spend with him makes me fall even deeper in love with him…Do you think I should tell him?"

"…You tell him what you feel Aya-chan…there's no point caging up your feelings and bottling up your emotions…"

Ryota felt dejected. He accepted his defeat. The fact that Ayako could not love him back. Ryota thought that she loved another man.

"But…Ryota…how?"

"Just tell him what you feel…And maybe a kiss or a hug would be sweet…"

"Okay…I'll tell him right now." Ayako stood up.

"But Aya-chan, its still raining, you'll get wet, maybe now is not the right time."

"If I don't tell him now, I might suffer eternity not being able to tell him what I feel. If I don't tell him now, it might be too late, I might lose him."

"But Aya-chan, please wait till the rain stops, I'll even accompany you--"

Ryota felt two arms around his neck and a slender body leaning against his.

"_A-aya-chan?"_

"Aishiteru Ryota."

He could not believe his ears. He blinked hard.

"_Is this a dream? The most beautiful girl in the world, declaring her love for me?"_

"Watashimo aishiteru Aya-chan."

"Ryota-kun, I've been hiding my feelings for you long enough. I thought that you won't try harder in basketball if you knew that I love you. But I realized that you were not that kind of person. I suddenly felt fear. Fear of losing you Ryota-kun…" light tears cascaded down on her cheeks.

"Don't cry my Aya-chan…" he said as he gently wiped her tears away.

And then it happened so fast. They stared into each other's eyes and their lips slowly met. They felt a warm, tingling sensation in their body. They seemed to forget the cold of the rain. They held hands, and sat down on the bench.

"Ryota-kun?"

"Nani Aya-chan?"

"I'm ready."

"Ready for what?"

"Ready to answer your question."

"What question? The one I asked you a while ago? The question about the God of the Dead?"

"No, Ryota-kun." She giggled, "The question you've been asking me since you met me."

"Oh…"

"Ask it again."

"…Will you be my girlfriend?…"

"Hai." She said as she snuggled closer to him, leaning her head on her shoulder, and still clasping his hand in hers.

"At last…" Ryota grinned as they watched the raindrops fall down from the dark sky.

"One more thing." Ayako added.

"Nani?"

"Could you sing me that song you sang over the radio? Your voice was so nice…"

Ryota blushed. "Okay. For you, Aya-chan."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Author's Notes:

Finally!!!! The nicest chapter of the story is finished!!! I'm melting!!! They are so romantic!

Now we know what Sakuragi planned for Ryota!

Oh, and stay tuned for the final chap.

****

Ja Mata Ne! Please Review! ^_^


	8. Examination

Chapter 8

Ayako was walking towards school. She woke up to face a bright day ahead of her. She was smiling, recalling the remainder of the most happiest night of her life.

~*~*Flashback*~*~

Ryota kept his sleeping Ayako warm in his arms. It was still raining hard, but he felt like he didn't want it to stop.

"I wish this rain would last longer." He sighed.

"Why Ryota-kun?" She whispered slowly, slightly shifting her position.

"I want to be with you longer."

"Don't worry, I'll be with you everyday."

"Do you think we should tell everyone about our relationship?"

"It's too soon. I think we should keep it as a secret for a while, and let them find out themselves."

"Hai. I'm sure with that nosy attitude of theirs, they'll easily find out."

"Yeah." She giggled.

"You are so beautiful." He whispered, tucking in a few lost strands that covered her face.

"Hai, hai, and you're so handsome…and sweet…and…"

"And…and what?"

"…"

"Aya-chan?"

"…"

"Nani?" He said as he saw her asleep, her head on his shoulders, and her fingers linked to his.

"Aya-chan…" He leaned forward to give her a kiss on the cheek, but she suddenly moved her head, and kissed her lips by accident.

"Ryota-kun…" She smiled.

"Gomen, Aya-chan, I didn't mean to---"

"It's okay. I think the rain already stopped."

"Oh…let's go then." He sighed.

They walked until they reached her house. 

"Arigato Ryota-kun, but before you go, please have a cup of tea with me first, and change your clothes, you might get sick."

"Okay."

He sat down on her bed as she handed her a towel and her favorite white shirt.

"I'll just go down and get some tea. Change your shirt if you want. You're all drenched." She smiled and closed the door.

He changed his clothes, and she brought him a nice warm cup of tea.

"Here, drink some." She held the cup for him and she made him take a sip.

"Arigato Aya-chan."

"No problem! Anytime!"

"I have to go…" He got up and headed for the front door.

"Ja mata ne." He winked at her as he started to walk home.

"Wait!" She held his hand and pulled him closer.

"Thanks for everything Ryota-kun…Goodnight and take care…Aishiteru…" And she gave him a smack on the cheek.

~*~*End of Flashback*~*~

Ayako was about to cross the road when a pair of hands covered her eyes.

"Hmm… warm…soft and…comforting…" She said as she traced the hands. "Ryota-kun?"

"Mornin'!" He let go of her eyes, embraced her from the back, and gave him an early morning kiss on the cheek.

"How'd you know it was me?"

"Your hands are soft and warm." She said with a heart-warming smile.

"So, today's the day."

"Good luck!"

"Thanks. I'll be needing it."

Once they reached school, they entered the classroom, and a group of girls came running toward Ayako.

"Ayako!"

"Omygosh!"

"Who was that guy who serenaded you on the radio last night?"

"He sounded so…handsome!!!"

"You are sooo lucky!"

"Who was that guy?!"

Ayako smiled at them, and she took a quick glance at Ryota, who was blushing a bit.

"Someone special." She took a seat and smiled sweetly at him, who was now blushing even intensely after hearing what she said. 

The teacher suddenly entered the room, and everyone went back to their seats. He distributed the papers, and the test began.

Ryota tapped the his pen on the table as he read his paper. Slowly, bit by bit, he completed his test, reminiscing Ayako's voice as she told the story. Her sweet voice was stuck in his head, every single detail of the story was fresh in his memory.

"_I must pass this test… for Aya-chan… Her efforts will be wasted if I fail…_" He wrote his last answer on the empty space and passed his paper forward, hoping for a good result.

~*~*Lunch Time*~*~

Ryota went straight for the cafeteria, when Sakuragi came by and gave him a whack on the bottom.

"Oi, Ryochin!" He smiled devilishly, pointing to a group of third years talking to each other.

"Did you hear what was on the radio yesterday? A guy sang a song and confessed his love for Ayako!"

"Ayako? You mean that pretty Second Year?"

"Hai!"

"Lucky girl, that guy must be madly in love with her!"

"Yeah, and he didn't even feel ashamed to send in a tape of himself!"

"Unfortunately, that guy didn't send in his tape. Someone else had a devious plan, and sent it in secretly." Ryota said to Sakuragi, giving him an intimidating glare.

"See Ryochin? With the help of this tensai, you have become a popular singer! Nyahaha!"

"_If Ayako did not tell me that she loved me, I swear, I'm going to sock you right now. But since I'm in a good mood, I'll just let you go."_ He mumbled as he walked past Sakuragi.

"Nani Ryochin? What did you say? See you in practice!" He called after him

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Author's Notes:

****

THIS IS NOT THE FINAL CHAPTER!!! 

THE FINAL CHAPTER WILL BE 2-4 CHAPTERS AFTER THIS!

I wanted to make sure you would know this so I typed it in with BIG, **bold** letters. ^_^

Anyway, sorry if it takes sooo long for me to make a new chapter. See, I'm officially grounded on the computers from Saturdays-Thursdays (Okay, I'll make it clearer: Friday is the only day I can use the computer at home).

And I only write (actually, I type) when I feel like it. Moody. That's what I am when it comes to writing stories/poems.

Stay tuned in for the next wonderful, lovey dovey (as Joan's review stated), mushy and romantic chapters (I can't guarantee that it's really romantic, but I'll try…)

Oh, and a week ago, a Japanese exchange student came to our class!!! I was sooo happy! She taught me a few words, except that I can't really understand her that much coz' she speaks only a few english words… And I even know how to spell my name in Japanese characters!!! Woohoo!

Oh, and here are some clarifications:

He leaned forward to give her a kiss on the cheek, but she suddenly moved her head, and kissed her lips by accident. She didn't mean it, she was sleeping. ^_^ (Just in case you don't understand my crudely constructed sentence) 

So… there! I have to go! Final Exams are next week… I have to study! (Wish me luck, we'll be having the same test Ryota and Ayako took in my fic!)

****

Thanks for reading, and please review! ^_^


	9. First Date

Chapter 9

The teacher called out the student's names, gave back their papers, and the class was dismissed. Ryota, however, did not receive his paper. The teacher called him when the whole class left.

_"What happened? Did I fail? Oh no…" _Ryota's heart raced faster as he dragged his heavy feet towards the teacher's table.

"Ryota Miyagi." His teacher placed Ryota's paper in front of him. "Well done."

Ryota gazed at the paper, which had a big red "91" in front. He passed!

"I knew you were smart Miyagi. You just had no concentration in studying. If I hadn't threatened you, you would have failed."

Ryota couldn't believe it. Not only did he pass, but he was the third highest scorer in their class.

"Arigato Sensei!" He dashed through the corridors and spotted Ayako.

"Aya-chan! Aya-chan!" He placed the paper in her hands. 

"I passed! I passed! Arigato Aya-chan!" He held her hands and twirled around the corridor.

"I'm so happy for you Ryota! You made it!"

"Yes, all because of you…" He leaned closer and tried to kiss her… when… _THWACK!_

"Aya-chan…" He rubbed his head.

"Ryota, we were supposed to keep it a secret, remember?" She whispered.

"Oh…Gomen, I got carried away…" He mumbled as a few people stared at him,  now as red as a tomato.

"Aya-chan?"

"Nani?"

"I want to thank you a lot for helping me…So if you're not doing anything after practice…Would you like to go out with me?" 

"You mean like…a date?"

"Y-yeah, l-like a d-date…"

"I'd love to."

"Great! We'll go straight after practice?"

"Perfect…" 

~*~*Basketball Practice that Afternoon*~*~

_"Cause you bring out the best in me, like no-one else can do  
That's why I'm by your side, and that's why I love you"_

The basketball court was filled with roars of laughter, Sakuragi in the spotlight, imitating how Ryota sang his "MTV".

Ryota was flaming, watching Sakuragi imitated every move, including the last part where he kissed Ayako's picture.

"Sakuragi no baka!" He felt a stinging blow on his head. "G-gori…"

"Let's practice now! Come on! Stop wasting time! The game with Ryonan is next week!"

"Hai!" The players answered with enthusiasm, facing the high hopes of entering the nationals.

Ayako approached Ryota. "Sorry for whacking you with my fan earlier. I didn't want them to notice."

"It's okay, I understand." He gave a thumbs up to her and jogged together with the others.

_  
_~*~*After Practice*~*~

Ryota quickly changed his clothes and met Ayako outside the gym.

"You ready?"

"Hai, let's go!"

He lead her to a shiny red bike. Her eyes were filled with amazement.

"I-is this your bike?"

"Hai. Been saving for it for a year now. Finally got my dream bike!" "_And my dream girl."_

"Hold on tight…" 

She nodded as she wrapped her arms around his waist, and they sped off.

_"Tensai basketball man…Ore wa tensai basketball man…Hanamichi Sakuragi!" _Hanamichi was walking home when a red bike passed by.

"The driver and passenger on that bike looks familiar…" He stared at the bike, which disappeared on the road.

"_Ryo-chin and Ayako-san?…Nah!" _And he continued walking, singing his "Tensai Basketball Man" song.

Ryota parked his bike, and they entered the mall.

"So…where to first?"

"The arcade?"

"Whatever you say, Aya-chan!"

They bought tokens in the arcade and approached the basketball game.

"Let's hog the tickets on this machine!" Ryota inserted two tokens into the machine and started shooting the balls into the basket.

"Nice, Ryota!" She gave him a high-five after successfully completing a whole round. Tickets came out of the machine.

It so happened that Mitsui passed by the arcade with his friends.

"_Was that Ryota and Ayako?"_ He suddenly jerked his head for a closer view, but they disappeared in the large crowd.

"_No way…" _And he ignored what he saw.

"Now it's my turn!" Ayako was about to insert the tokens when a group of guys suddenly laughed.

She glared at them, noticing that they were talking about her.

"_She thinks she can score! Don't they know that basketball is a man's game?"_ She distinctly heard what a guy from that group said.

"_Those idiots! I'll show them…"_ She hastily inserted the tokens, and began playing.

The guys gaped at her, when she perfected all shots in 30 seconds. Tickets continuously came out of the machine.

"That's my Aya-chan!" He gave her a high five, and they approached the other games.

When they spent all their tokens in playing, they approached the prize stand and gave their tickets.

"What do you want Aya-chan?"

"Hmm…that one…" She pointed to a bright red cap. She wore it on her head and smiled at him.

"So, what do you think?"

"Perfect." Ryota said as he noticed the number 7 printed in front of the cap.

"What about you? We still have enough tickets left…"

"I think I'll take that one." Pointing to a cute teddy bear holding a red heart with a swirly "I Love You" printed on it.

"Here, this teddy bear means what it says." He grinned at her.

"Arigato, you're so sweet. Let's go eat now?"

"Whatever you say Aya-chan."

They ordered their food and began to eat. They ordered their dessert when they finished the main course.

"Is that banana split good?" She asked him.

"I like it, but I don't know if you will." He scooped a spoonful of his dessert and made her taste it.

"Its good! Now try this…" She imitated him and scooped some of her dessert and "spoon-fed" him.

Kogure was walking fast, carrying the groceries.

"_I have one more errand to do…and that is…to get the laundry…"_ He sped past the restaurant and saw in the corner of his eye, Ryota and Ayako "spoon-feeding" each other.

"_Ryota and Ayako…dating?! I must be mistakened. My glasses are playing tricks again." _And he walked faster, trying to deny what he saw.

"Aya-chan I want to give you something." Ryota took out a silver ring and slipped it in her fingers.

"It's a remembrance. I have the other pair." He showed his finger to her.

"Thanks. You are the sweetest."

Finally, it was time to go home. Ryota and Ayako rode on the bike and zoomed off. 

"Thanks for this wonderful night." She smiled sweetly as she got off the bike.

"Aya-chan… Goodnight!"

"Goodnight too Ryota-kun, please take care…for me."

"I will." And he leaned forward and gave her a sweet gentle kiss.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Author's Notes:

I am so sorry for updating so long! I had my periodical tests last week, and I had no time to rest. I had to study, and I had to attend a practice for a performance on the weekend. So, what am I feeling now? One word: exhausted.

So anyways, thanks for reading another one of my chapters! This fic is getting mushier! I think that's because I'm a romantic person… Nyahaha! I watched the whole SlamDunk OAV's last week… Gave me inspiration! Whoohoo! 

So anyway, I am officially banned to the computer including weekends. I hate it! I'll just have to "escape". So… gotta go! Stay tuned!

Thanks for everything! Please review! (",)


	10. Now They Know

Chapter 10

"I saw you in the mall yesterday. You were with Ayako." Yuri told Ryota the next morning.

"N-nani? You saw us?"

"Hai. And you were very sweet."

"I'm sorry if you had to cancel our deal on your swimming practice." He said, quickly changing the topic.

"It's okay, my boyfriend offered to help me anyway. Besides, I don't want ruining your practice."

"Don't say such a thing. You don't ruin our practice."

"I don't. But I make you and Ayako spend lesser time talking." She picked up her bag.

"Ja! I'm off to school!"

"You sure you don't want a ride?"

"Yes, I'm sure. But I think Ayako needs one!" She winked at him and left the house.

Ryota took his bike keys and his bag and sped off with his bike. He quickly saw Ayako walking on the streets. He caught up with her.

"Hop on, Aya-chan!"

"Hai, good morning Ryota-kun!" She gave him a kiss on the cheek and hopped on the bike.

Meanwhile, in school, Kogure, Mitsui and Sakuragi were talking.

"You know what? I think I saw Ryota and Ayako together yesterday." Mitsui announced.

"Yeah, me too! I "thought" I saw them eating together yesterday in the mall." Kogure said.

"That's were I was yesterday! I saw them by the arcade!"

"I saw them on Ryota's new bike yesterday when I was singing my song."

"There's something going on between the two of them and we're going to find out all about it." Mitsui said with a menacing grin.

~*~*During Practice*~*~

"Defense! Defense!" Ayako shouted. The basketball team was quite spunky today, and she was glad about it.

"Hold your arms up higher! Bend lower!" 

There was another practice game. Ryota stole the ball and made a fast break, scoring 2 points.

"Nice Ryota!" Ayako yelled and ran over to him and tapped his back. 

"That's the end of today's practice guys. You were all great! See you all tomorrow!"

They walked together and entered the locker room.

Mitsui, Kogure, Sakuragi and Akagi followed them.

"Gori, stay put while I climb on your shoulders. I want to see what they're doing!" Sakuragi told Akagi.

"Doaho! Why me?!"

"Cause you're the tallest!"

"Okay, fine!"

"Stay still..." And Sakuragi scrambled over Akagi and stood on his shoulders.

"Y-you're h-heavy..."

"Can you see them?" 

"What are they doing?" Mitsui and Kogure questioned Sakuragi, whose head was now leveled as the small exhaust window in the changing room.

"They're talking... Ayako has a towel... She's wiping Ryota's forehead... They're still talking... Ayako makes Ryota drink some water... **Ryota has his hand on her waist!!!**" 

"Nani? Let us see!" Mitsui whispered.

"Oh, oh... their faces are getting closer--Oh my God!!!" Sakuragi toppled down.

"What was that?" Ayako asked Ryota after hearing the loud thud outside.

"They're watching us." 

"Who? Sakuragi and the others?"

"Yeah. Pretend they're not around."

"Gori!" Sakuragi moaned, rubbing his butt.

"You were too heavy!"

"What happened? Did they kiss?" Kogure asked.

"I don't know! I fell down!"

"Over here!" Mitsui said peeping into a small crack in the door.

"I can't see anything!" Mitsui said.

"Move over!" Sakuragi pushed Mitsui and peeped through the hole.

"I can't see anything either...Ouch! My eye! My eye!" Sakuragi covered his eye with one hand.

"What happened?"

"Something poked my eye!"

Ryota and Ayako laughed hard, but silently. They turned into two red laughing tomatoes. Ryota was the one who poked Sakuragi's eye.

"I don't hear anything…" Kogure said. All of them were now leaning their ears against the door.

"It's quiet…"

"Too quiet…"

"Do you think they're doing… you know… that thing…"

"I don't know…"

The door suddenly opened, causing them to fall out of balance. In a split second, a paper fan came flying and whacking everyone in the face like lightning

"**Bakayerou!!!**" Ayako bellowed.

"L-lady Gori!" Sakuragi said.

"**What did you say?!"**

"How stupid of me! You're not Lady Gori anymore!"

"That's right!" She looked at him furiously.

"**You're LADY RYO-CHIN!!!"** He accusingly pointed his finger to her.

"That's right---what did you say?!" She said, turning red in embarrassment and anger.

"Don't get us into more trouble!" Akagi punched Sakuragi.

"It's true! We all saw you yesterday! And look!" He pointed to Ayako's cap. "It says "7"!"

"I…I…" "_How stupid! I wore the wrong cap! I brought this one to school instead of my Shohoku cap!_"

"So what?" Ryota said, putting his hand over her shoulder. "Are you going to make fun of us?"

"Yeah. Are you?" She asked, obviously displaying her paper fan.

"Uh, no, we were just happy for the both of you, you know… Hehehe… You two are so kawaii… Ja!" And they left the room.

"I guess they now know." Ryota smiled.

"They are so slow." She smiled back, putting her hand around his waist.

"Just one question: does my paper fan really hurt?"

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Author's Notes:

Finally! Stay tuned for the next 2 chaps! I survived my Literature test! 66/90! I gotta go! I'm on a hurry! Ja!

Ooh, and I almost completely forgot about Yuri. Good thing I remembered!

Clarifications:

Ryota has a motorbike, not a bicycle (in case you misunderstood). ****

Thanks for reviewing! Stay tuned! ^_^


	11. Together

Chapter 10

The next morning, Ryota fetched Ayako from her house. When they arrived in school and entered the corridor, the Sakuragi Gundan popped out of nowhere and blew party horns, threw confetti and cheered for the couple.

"Congratulations!" Mito shook Ryota's hand vigorously.

"You have stopped your record! You only had 10 consecutive dumps from girls!"

"After a long time of misery, I'm so happy for you!"

"Nice ring Ryota, nice ring Ayako! Is it possible that these are… wedding rings?" Mito said holding up their hands.

"No, of course not!" Ayako said, pulling her arm back.

"These are friendship rings." Ryota said.

"**Attention everyone! Ryota and Ayako got married!!!"**

"No we did not!" Ryota defensively said.

"Okay then, let me rephrase that… **Ryota and Ayako are hooked up!!!"**

"Good, now the whole school knows…" Ayako sarcastically remarked.

Ryota and Ayako continued walking and ignored the Sakuragi Gundan, hoping they'll soon stop--but to no avail.

Students peeped out from their classrooms to see what was happening…Naturally, the SG (Sakuragi Gundan) was very noisy, "celebrating".

"They look like flower girls in a wedding ceremony." Ryota mumbled.

"Onegai, yamerou…" Ayako pleaded, but the SG was too busy spreading the word.

"Onegai…" They still didn't listen. Bad choice.

**__**

THWACK!

Ayako's paper fan slapped the SG. They became suddenly quiet.

Ayako exhaled a breath of relief.

"Arigato." She told them as she and Ryota entered their classroom.

She sat down on the chair as her friends teased her.

"Ayako…you never told us you liked Ryota too!"

"Aaw…you two look perfect!"

"You know what? I think that guy who sang for you on the radio…it was **Ryota!!!**"

"No way!"

Ryota hid his face behind his History book.

"Yes it was him…" She smiled. "Isn't he the sweetest? Not many guys have the guts to serenade girls over the radio."

"Yeah…You're lucky Ayako!"

"I'm so jealous of you!"

"He won't let you cry…That's for sure…"

"He'll probably make me cry." She announced, and everyone suddenly became quiet.

Ryota froze. "_What is she saying? Doesn't she love me_?"

"He'll probably make me cry…of happiness." 

~*~*After School*~*~

Ryota was walking towards the school field. He promised Ayako that he would meet her there. He glanced at his watch. 3:57. He was 3 minutes early. He can wait for her. Even forever. 

He concentrated at the grass beneath his feet while he walked. All of a sudden, there was a sudden pull of his arm, and a fist coming towards his face.

It was a burly third-year. The one who had a crush on Ayako. Ryota's rival.

"I can't believe Ayako chose you instead of me!" And he threw another punch, but missed.

"Look, I don't want to fight!" Ryota avoided the punches.

"It's a shame! My pride has been bruised! I won't forgive you for this!" He continued to throw punches, missing every single one.

"Onegai, leave Ayako's decision as it is! It's not my fault if she chose me!"

"You boastful kid!"

"Onegai, yamerou…"

Ayako was walking toward the field, and she heard voices. Fighting. She ran and saw Ryota. And the third year.

Ryota spotted Ayako and stopped avoiding the punches. "_Aya-chan…_" 

Ryota fell down. The third year's fist hit Ryota's nose, and blood started to flow out of it.

****

"Ryota!" She ran to him and wiped his nose with her handkerchief .

She stood up and faced the guy. "**What is your problem?!"**

"I can't believe you chose him instead of me! Move aside, I want to finish him!"

"Finish him? Is that what this is about?!" She blocked his way.

"Move, or else--"

"Or else what?"

"I'm going to have to take care of you."

"It's a good thing I didn't choose you. You have no respect for my decisions. You don't really love me."

"That's enough!" The guy tried to slap her. But he failed. She caught his hand and buried her fist in his stomach.

The guy moaned with pain as Ayako helped Ryota get up. They walked towards a bench and sat down.

"Aya-chan…" She wiped the blood of his nose.

"Ryota-kun…Gomen…"

"It's not your fault… I can't blame it if guys go crazy over you…"

"We have to go to the clinic…"

"No, it's okay. As long as you're here I'll be fine."

"…"

"As long as we're together…we'll be fine…"

"Yes. As long as we're together…Aishiteru…"

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Author's notes:

This is the second to the last chapter… That means the next chap will be the last… =(

Gomen for updating so long, we are very busy in school…I'm banned on the computer…And I lost my writer's touch for a while… Good thing I got it back!

Arigato for reading! Please review! ^_^

p.s. I made a Ryo/Aya website! It's not yet done, I'm updating it bit by bit, so don't complain to me about broken links… If you want to check it out, it's at http://destined.to/ryoaya or http://www.liquid2k.com/ryota4ayako … Ja!


	12. Forevermore

Chapter 12: The last chapter… =(

****

Ryota's POV:

"We won!!!" I pumped my fist in the air as I felt the extreme excitement rush throughout my body. I was tired, but it all seemed to vansih. We're going to the inter-high! I felt light, like I want to fly… All those hard works were worth it! All the hours I sacrificed! We've come this far! 

I looked around to see everyone else cheering. And that's when I saw her. My angel. My hope.

She ran to me and wrapped her arms around me. 

"Ryota-kun! I knew you'd make it! We won!" I placed my hands over her waist and twirled her around.

"All for you, Aya-chan!" I stopped and bent forward to give her gentle kiss.

I felt her lips brush against mine. They were warm, just like a warm blanket during a frosty night. I felt like I never want to let go.

I know this. This scene was very familiar…it was…it was my dream… but it all came true… Basketball.. Aya-chan…

She ran back to the bench and got a bottle of fresh water and a towel. She started wiping my sweat and she gave me water.

What more could I ask for? She was all I ever needed… I'll ask her out tonight… To a movie or something. I don't care where. As long as we're alone together.

"Aya-chan?"

"Nani?" She smiled. Just to see her smile. That's what I've always wanted… But I got more than I could ever want.

"Would you like to go out with me tonight?"

"Sure!"

"7:00, I'll pick you up?"

"I'll be looking forward for it."

~*~*That Night*~*~

****

Ayako's POV:

I brushed my hair and stared outside the window. He'll be coming over in a few minutes.

Ryota-kun… I can't believe we're finally together… All those times I was pretending not to like you… It was hard.

I'm glad Yuri came along. If she didn't show up, wouldn't be able to realize how much I love Ryota. Maybe I'll give her a simple gift. Just a token of my appreciation.

Maybe Yuri didn't come along accidentally. Maybe it was… destiny? Or Ryota and I could be what they call…"soulmates". I don't really know. But I think Ryota and I were really meant for each other.

I twirled around and dived backwards in my bed. I could just remember how he looked when Shohoku won… He looked so happy… 

I closed my eyes and started imagining his face… His beautiful eyes, staring back at mine.

Stop dreaming Ayako! You don't need to dream! He's finally yours, can't you see?

Yes. Maybe I'm too impatient. He'll be here later. And I'll get to see those eyes--in reality. No need to imagine.

I'm going crazy! I can't stop thinking about him!

I'm afraid to lose him… But I won't! We love each other… We won't be apart…

The doorbell rang… It must be him! I jumped out of my bed, hurriedly fixed my hair, and ran downstairs.

I opened the door, and there he was, smiling at me, holding what looked like 2 dozens of red and white roses. My favorite.

I flung my arms around him, as if I haven't seen him for a long time. He was surprised.

"Gomen, Ryota-kun… I just missed you that's all…" I felt my face getting hot.

"It's okay…" He held out his hand and I slipped mine into his.

****

Ryota's POV:

I lead her to my bike. Okay, not very romantic, but what the heck. She was with me. That was all I cared about.

I started the bike.

"Hold on tight."

I drove towards the beach. I could feel the cool air brush against my body. She was right behind me, humming a familiar tune.

I stopped by the sea wall and I lead her to a candlelight dinner on the beach. Now that's romantic.

"Ryota-kun…" She gasped.

"It's perfect…"

"Thanks. Please sit down, mademoiselle." I smiled and pulled her chair backwards so she could sit.

I sat down on the opposite end of the table.

We started eating, and conversing. About the game, about school, about the Inter-High… When I just suddenly seemed to change the topic.

"Aya-chan…What's your dream?"

"My dream? My dream is to be with you…that's the truth…"

"My dream… I can't explain it really… All I know is that it's happening to me…right now."

"Well I guess what they say is really true. Dreams do come true."

"Yeah…cause ours just came true."

__

There are times when I just want to look at your face

With the stars in the night

There are times when I just want to feel your embrace

In the cold night

I just can't believe that you are mine now

You were just a dream that I once knew

I never thought I would be right for you

I just can't compare you with anything in this world

You're all I need to be with forevermore

All those years I've longed to hold you in my arms

I've been dreaming of you

Every night I've been watching all the stars that fall down

Wishing you would be mine

I just can't believe that you are mine now

You were just a dream that I once knew

I never thought I would be right for you

I just can't compare you with anything in this world

You're all I need to be with forevermore

Time and again there are these changes that we cannot end

As sure as stars keeps goin' on and on

My love for you will be forevermore

"Aishiteru…" I whispered to her.

"Watashimo aishiteru…" She replied with a kiss.

****

~*~*~*~*~*T~H*E~*E~N*D~*~*~*~*~*~

Disclaimer: The song is "Forevermore" by Side A (it's a Philippine Pop Band)

****

Author's Notes:

It's the last chapter… =( *Sniff*

I feel like crying! I can't believe I really finished a whole fic! This was my very first successful fic!

To everyone, thanks for reviewing and reading… It motivated me to write! I don't know what to do without you guys!

*Huggles everyone*

I'd like to thank EVERYONE for helping me with this…Arigato!

ThAnK u! ThAnK u! ThAnK u! ThAnK u! ThAnK u! ThAnK u! ThAnK u! ThAnK u! ThAnK u! ThAnK u! ThAnK u! ThAnK u!

****

Watch out for my next fic! (Still Ryo/Aya)

Ayako gets tired of being the manager…so what does she do? She cross-dresses to join the basketball team. She understands the feeling of being a guy… And she realizes now how much she likes Ryota. But the thing is: Ryota hates Ayako as a guy. He feels like she is her rival. Even girls are scrambling over her. Will she be a better girl? Or a better guy?

Tune in!

Once again, a big ARIGATO to everyone!!!


End file.
